Dental appliance.



Patented Au I4, I900.

D. O. M. LE CRN.

DENTAL APPLIANCE. (Application filed Feb. 26, 1900.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL 0. M. LE cnon, on sr. LOUIS, tirssoRi.

DENTAL APPLIANCE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,933, dated August14,190). Application file-d eloruztry 26, 1900. Serial No. 6,579. (NOmaeL) !Z0 CLZZ w7wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL 0. M. LE CRON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at No. 401 Union Trust Building, St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented certain new and nseful Improvements inDental Appliances; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear,and exact description of the invention,such as Will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reierence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, wl1ich form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to dental appliances, and is directed toimprovements in gages designed for use more especially in connectionWith the construction et artificial dentures,

the object of the invention being the production of a gage by Whichartificial dentures and bridge-teeth may be readily and accuratelyfitted to and easily removed from natural roots.

In the application of artificial dentures of the kind specified aplurality of natural roots serve as the means by which the denture isremovably secured in place, the roots being drilled to receive pins onthe denture. To insure ready insertion and removal of the denturc, thepin holes orsockets in the roots must be parallel to each other andapproximately at right angles to the inner side of the denture.Otherwise a slight deflection of even one of the sockets Will preventthe insertion of all of the pins, or, the pins being inserted, will,-

owing to the binding action of the defiected socket on its respectivepin, prevent the ready removal of the denture. My improved appliance isdesigned to remedy this difiiculty, which is frequently met With indental operations of the class referred to, the appliance or gageserving as an efficient means for ascertaining from time to time duringthe drillvatiOn, partly in section, of a dental gage em bodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a perspec tive view illustrating the application ofthe gage. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a full upper denture, showingthe means for attachare provided;with apertures registering With theroot:sockets. One of the roots is shown With stich a cap, the same beinglettered 50. The artificial denture is lettered A. At its upper side arereceSses a a, conforming to the capped roots, and centrally of therecesses are pins a a, which enter the root-sockets and serve, with thelatter, to hold the denture in place. To insure ready insertion andremoval of the denture, the sockets, as before stated, must be at rightangles to the denture. This is made possible by the use of my improvedgage, the construction and operation of which I Will now describe.

The gag is preferably constructed, as shown, in sections B, B, and B onect which, B or Bmay be dispensed With Where but three roots serve as themeans by which the denture is held to place. The sections are eachprovided With a slot b, extending longitudinally preferably nearly theentire length of the section. The ends of the middle sec tion B lap theinner ends of the outer sections B 13 and threaded pins C 0 are passedthrough the slots of such lapped ends and serve, With binding-nuts d dat each side of the sections, to secure the parts in assembled conditionand relatively-adjusted position. The upper end of each pin 0 isprovided with a suitable handhold in the shape of a head 0, and itslower end cis Withot threads, being preferably slightly reduced indiameter. The outer sections B B are each provided near their outer endwith a depending pin 6, formed rigid therewith.

In practice a suitable drill is employed to form the pin-sockets in theroots, and from The mots are shown as trimined to receive metallic caps,which time to time during the drilling operation the drill is withdrawnand my improved gage brought into use to ascertain the direction whichthe drill has taken. This is accomplished by 80 adjusting the sectionsas to bring the pins e and the pin ends a in line approximately with theroot-centers and then by forcing a pin or pins into the respectivepartially-drilled socket or sockets, the diameter of the pins being suchas Will cause them to fit the sockets rather closely. Should one or moreof the sockets loe out of lime, the defiection is made apparent as soonas the gage is applied, and the degree of inclination being likewiseascertained it becomes an eS matter to determine to what extent thedrill must be employed to straighten the deflected soCkt or sockets.This application of the gage is repated until the proper depth of socketis reached,after which the roots are capped and the necessary impressionis made from Which t0 construct the denture.

The construction of the gage renders it uni- Versal so far as the rangeof adjustment is c0nerned, the slotted section permitting movement tovary the relative angles of the sections and also the distance of thepins from eaeh other t0 accommodate the gage t0 differently-locatedmots.

The gage may, as previously stated, be e1nployed regardless of thenumber of roots 1:0

which the denture is to be secured, thongh there must be a [lurality ofsuch mots. The pins are parallel to each other and at right angles tothe sections, and by the use of the gage exact conformation of thesockets to such pins may be produced; v

The gage isvery simple in Construction, may be Gheaply made, is veryefficient in 0peration, and is not liable t0 disorder.

I claim as my inventionl. A dental gage for the purpose specified,comprising a frame made up of adjustable jointed sections, and gage pinson the frame certain of the pins forming the means for securing thesections together.

2. A dental gage for the purpose specified, comprising a frame made upof dettchble jointed sections, gage-pins on the frame certain of thepins f0tming With bindiig itS the means for Securing the sectionstogether.

3. A dental gage for the pnrpose specified, comprising a frame made upof sl0ttd sections or members, fixed pins on certain 01: the sections,screW-threaded pins passd thro gh lapped ends of the sections, andbindigntS on the pins at each side of the sections.

In testimony Whereof I affix ni si nature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL 0. M. LE CRON.

VVitnesses:

W. T. NORTON, ARTHUR BROWNING.

